Strange and Unusual Aircraft - 34
German WWII Me 163 B-1a
The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Lippisch, was a German
rocket-powered fighter aircraft. Its design was revolutionary, and the Me 163
was
capable of performance unrivaled at the time. German test pilot Heini Dittmar
in early July 1944 reached 1,130 km/h (700 mph), a flight airspeed record. Over
300 aircraft were built, but the Komet proved ineffective as a fighter and was
responsible for the destruction of only about nine Allied aircraft.
|
|
⇦ Back to Aircraft 33 Return to Strange Aircraft Page 5 On to Aircraft 35 ⇨ |